Urban System Studies: Green Cities and Sustainability

The views expressed in this presentation are the views of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank, or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this presentation and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this presentation do not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignity or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.

Michael Koh Fellow, Centre For Liveable Cities Urban Issues in the 21st Century

• By 2050, population growth and urbanisation is projected to add 2.5 billion people to cities, 90% of which are concentrated in Asia and Africa. • Climate change and an increasingly connected world is posing new and unprecedented challenges. • Most of our current urban models cannot sustain these increases. • Similarly, current brick‐and‐ motar method of building cities are fast encroaching upon our natural spaces. • Moving forward, we need a new commitment towards a shared vision. Agenda

1. Singapore’s Liveability Framework

2. City in Nature

3. Going Car Lite

4. Building Resilience Genesis of CLC

CLC was set up in 2008 by the Ministry of National Development (MND) and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) as one of the key strategies in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint. CLC’s purpose is to distil and deepen knowledge on Singapore’s urban development and facilitate global knowledge exchange on liveable and sustainable cities. Sustainable Singapore Blueprint

www.sustainablesingapore.gov.sg Singapore Liveability Framework Framework for Planning and Developing a Liveable City

High Quality of Life

Competitive Sustainable Economy Environment Outcomes (What’s)

Integrated Master Planning & Systems Development (How’s)

Dynamic Urban Governance Singapore Liveability Framework Framework for planning and developing a liveable city

• Safe & Secure environment

• Equitable & Inclusive society

• Accessible & Adequate public goods and services • Adequate land, water and (transport, water, sanitation, energy to meet long term health system) needs. High • Affordable & Diverse social, Quality of Life • Clean and good quality recreational & cultural environment (air, water, waste aspects to meet essential management, noise level) needs Competitive Sustainable Economy Environment Outcomes • Green & Healthy Eco‐Systems • Resilient Economy (What’s) Systems • Resilient to Environmental • Competitive Workforce Integrated Master Planning & Risks (Climate change, natural Development (How’s) disasters, food security) • Inclusive Growth Dynamic Urban Governance Singapore Liveability Framework Framework for planning and developing a liveable city

1. Think long term 1. Lead with vision and High pragmatism 2. “Fight productively” Quality of Life 2. Build a culture of 3. Build in flexibility Competitive Sustainable integrity Economy Environment Outcomes 4. Execute effectively (What’s) 3. Cultivate sound Integrated Master Planning & Systems institutions 5. Innovate Development (How’s) systemically 4. Involve the Dynamic Urban community as Governance stakeholders

5. Work with markets Singapore: A highly liveable & sustainable city

Economic Competitiveness Liveability Health & Happiness

SGP’s ranking 2015 2016 SGP’s ranking 2015 2016 SGP’s ranking 2015 2016 Global Power City 55Mercer 26; 1st in 26; 1st in Health‐related SDG ‐ 3 Index (by MMF) Asia Asia index (by Lancet) Global 22Monocle 13 20 World Happiness 24; 1st 22; 1st Competitiveness Report (by SDSN) in Asia in Asia Report (by WEF) CLC Liveability Matrix Singapore in the 1950s & 1960s A country plagued with challenges of urbanisation Singapore Today Singapore: A city‐state’s challenges

5.40 Million • Population of 5.61 mil • Land area of 719 km2 • 7,800 persons/km2 density • Very limited natural resources • Essential needs of a country for defence, accessibility (airport, sea port), basic survival (e.g. water supply and catchment) 2016 and beyond:City Singapore asin a biophilic Nature city

1. Adequate land, water and energy to meet long term needs.

2. Clean and good quality High Quality of Life environment (air, water, waste

Competitive Sustainable management, noise level) Economy Environment

Outcomes (What’s)

Systems (How’s) Integrated Master Planning & Development 3. Green & Healthy Eco‐Systems

Dynamic Urban Governance 4. Resilient to Environmental Risks (climate change, natural disasters, food security)

Urban farming at KTPH

Park Royal @ Pickering Jurong Eco‐Garden at CleanTech Park

Sources: WOHA, KTPH, JTC Increasing Green Cover

Between 1986 and 2011, despite growth in population from 2.7 million to about 5.3 million…

The green cover in Singapore grew from 35.7% to almost 50%

Credit line : Produced for NParks by DHI Water & Environment (S) Pte Ltd and Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing (CRISP), National University of Singapore. What is a Biophilic City?

• A biophilic city puts nature at the core of its design and planning, not as an afterthought or an ornament.

• It also works hard to foster those connections and the engagement of people with nature by encouraging urban nature works, spending time outdoors, fostering interest and curiosity about nature.

• Biophilic design creates living environments that brings out the best in both human and ecological systems Singapore’s Journey: Denser, Greener, Bluer

City in Nature Density City of Gardens and Waters City in a Garden Urban

Garden City

• Greening of the city amidst rapid urbanisation • Motivations behind the vision: – To provide Singaporeans with the best possible living environment despite increasing urbanisation The green cover in – To give visitors a good impression of Singapore grew the country and persuade potential from 35.7% (1986) investors of the commitment, to almost 50% discipline and efficiency of the (2010) government – To improve the morale of the citizens and allow them to take pride in their environment • Over time, these early greening efforts resulted in an infrastructural “green skeleton”, over which subsequent biodiversity conservation initiatives could be seamlessly layered 2010 onwards: City in a Garden

City in Nature Density City of Gardens and Waters

Urban City in a Garden City Garden

6 key areas 1. Establish world‐class gardens 2. Rejuvenate urban parks and enliven our streetscape 3. Optimise urban spaces for greenery and recreation 4. Enrich biodiversity in our urban environment 5. Enhance competencies of our landscape and horticulture industry 6. Engage and inspire communities to co‐create a greener Singapore Paradigm Shift for our Waterways

City in Nature Density

City in a GardenCity of Gardens Urban Garden City and Waters

Water Supply Strategy

To collect To collect To recycle every drop every drop every drop of water of used of water that falls water more than on once Singapore 17 reservoirs 32 rivers 7,000 km of waterways and drains Parks and Water Bodies Plan The Predecessor of ABC Waters Programme

Pang Sua Pond

Sungei Api Api

ACTIVE BEAUTIFUL CLEAN New Recreational Spaces Integration of waters Improved Water Quality with urban landscape

Before

After Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters: Kallang River @ Bishan‐Ang Mo Kio Park

Source: PUB, Singapore’s water agency ABC Waters Design Guidelines

• ABC Waters design features include: Vegetated swales, Bioretention swales or basins, Sedimentation basins, Constructed wetlands, Cleansing biotopes, Infiltration systems • Application of water‐sensitive urban design features meant for stormwater management ABC Waters Projects

SUNGEI API API AND SUNGEI TAMPINES – SENGKANG FLOATING WETLANDS –Opened Opened in March 2015 in 2010

KALLANG RIVER (POTONG PASIR) – ROCHOR CANAL – Opened in March 2015 Opened in July 2015

Source: PUB, Singapore’s water agency Mainstreaming ABC Waters

• ABC waters as an integral part of urban planning – Providing urban planners and allied partners with more tools to create a city that supports nature and connects with its citizens – Planners, developers and project managers will balance trade‐offs in solutions • e.g. more land required vs straight concrete channels, while maintaining drainage and liveability requirements

• ABC Waters Design Guidelines – To help design and operate reliable ABC Waters assets. ABC Waters: Marina Barrage ABC Waters: Marina Barrage

Water Supply Boosts Singapore’s water supply as Singapore’s 15th reservoir and its first reservoir in the city

Flood control Acts as a tidal barrier to keep seawater out and alleviates flooding in the low‐lying city areas

Lifestyle Attraction Hotspot for recreational activities and latest icon in Singapore Future Directions

City in Nature Density City of Gardens and Waters City in a Garden Urban

Garden City

• Developers must replace greenery displaced by buildings and lost from the site. • Applicable to non‐landed private residential and commercial/mixed‐use/hotel developments outside strategic areas. • New and redevelopments must provide communal green spaces. • More intensive developments are required to provide more communal green spaces. Vertical Forest: Bosco Verticale, Milan

• The 27 storey structure is also the world’s first vertical forest • Diversity of plants produce humidity, absorb CO2 and dust particles, create oxygen and protect the building from radiation and acoustic pollution. • Plant irrigation supported through the filtering and reuse of grey water produced by the building. Hillside Forest: Fukuoka Prefectural Hall Thought Experiment: Community Borne from Nature

Re‐imagine urban living

• Can communities organically emerge from being close to nature? • How do we build cities to co‐ exist with nature? • What are the biophilic possibilities for cities? Thought Experiment: Sponge Cities

• Build with precipitation rather than against it. • For instance: absorb precipitation through permeable pavements, rain gardens and wetlands. Reuse water for irrigation, parks or drinking to assist with flood prevention Sponge Technology: Yanweizhou Park

• Yanweizhou park is designed to work alongside annual flooding rather than control it with concrete floodwalls. • The cut‐and‐fill strategy of create a water‐resilient terraced river embankment that is covered with flood adapted native vegetation. Greenery thrived through this new design. • Floodable pedestrian paths and pavilions are closed to the public during the short period of flooding. However, the bridge still remains accessible to the public. In non‐ flood periods, the park is a place for community to flourish. • Won the world landscape of the year for 2015. Go Car‐lite High Quality of Life

1. Safe & Secure environment

2. Equitable & Inclusive society

High Quality of Life 3. Accessible & Adequate public

Competitive Sustainable goods and services (transport, Economy Environment

Outcomes (What’s) water, sanitation, health system) Systems (How’s) Integrated Master Planning & Development 4. Affordable & Diverse social, Dynamic Urban Governance recreational & cultural aspects to meet essential needs

• Environment: Car‐centric cities are not environmentally sustainable

“Early this year, I outlined our car‐lite vision, built on three pillars. First, reliable public transport with our train system as the • Public Health: Car‐centric backbone. Second, hassle‐free, comfortable and convenient first‐and‐last‐ cities promote a mile connectivity to the nearest train station or bus interchange. And third, a strong point‐to‐point, shared transport system made up of taxis, private sedentary lifestyle hire cars and car‐sharing.” Mr. Khaw Boon Wan, • Social: Car‐lite cities are Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport, at the Walk Cycle Ride Singapore Symposium, 20 Jul 2016 also human‐oriented, offering new opportunities Human‐oriented Developments

• Active street fronts • More greenery and shade • Shared mobility (e.g. shared bikes, shared PMDs, driverless pod cars) key first/mile mobility modes in largely pedestrianized areas • Ensure good connectivity and prioritize people’s movement at street‐level Travel Demand Management: New Opportunities

• Car‐lite compatible parking provision e.g. hub parking • Freight: Night‐time delivery and retail delivery consolidation scheme • Car‐sharing lots, secure cycle parking and shower and locker facilities within individual developments • Employers to take lead in promoting sustainable travel behaviors amongst employees and visitors e.g. campaign, incentives such as discounted/free bike‐share/car‐share membership • Develop a monitoring regime to track district‐ wide sustainable travel targets 2016 and beyond: Singapore as a car‐lite city

Improving Walkability Mobility Plans Required for Development Projects Expand radius of sheltered walkways from 200m to 400m from transport nodes

Car‐free Zones Encouraging Cycling 13 zones declared car‐free at stipulated timings Foldable bicycles (1.1m x 0.6m) allowed on MRTs Cycling: Improving the Infrastructure

Park Connector Plan – 360 km by 2020 Ang Mo Kio Cycling Town • Singapore’s first walking and cycling town

• Cycling paths connecting key amenities

• Unused space under MRT viaduct transformed into sheltered cycling paths

+ National Cycling Plan – >700km by 2030, Intra town cycling networks Tampines Cycling Path & Park Connector Network

Tampines EcoGreen

Sun Plaza Park

Tampines TampinesRegional Town Hub Centre Park Connector Existing New / Under study Cycling Path Temasek Existing Polytechnic New / under study Singapore University of Bedok Reservoir Park Changi Technology & General New linkages? Hospital Design Changi Business Park Singapore Expo Cycling: New Opportunities

Service providers (e.g. PT and bike‐share operators) collaborate to provide a suite of mobility services and facilities to complete trip eco‐system

• Integrated bike‐share payment system with public transport • Network: Build in the scope to expand beyond JLD • Make bike‐share stations visible and accessible • Bike‐share and on‐street bike lanes go hand in hand – consider low budget on‐street bike lane trial @ JLD to boost attractiveness and profitability of bike sharing scheme • Invite public inputs • Encourage private entities to take over the bike share market for greater efficiency. Pedestrianisation: Bringing back Bustling Streets Eco‐mobility World Festival

• The EcoMobility World festival was initiated to show that an EcoMobile lifestyle can be promoted in cities all over the world. • The Festival transforms a neighbourhood into a pedestrian zone for an entire month to demonstrate the possibilities of an innovative and forward‐thinking urban transportation culture • Past festivals were held in Suwon, S.Korea and Johannesburg, S.Africa Thought Experiment: Jurong Gateway

Consider the following interventions for Jurong Gateway:

• Widen the pavement for pedestrians • Set aside 1 lane for “bus and taxi” only • Pilot “Slow Lane” for other modes to share (e.g. private cars, bikes, PMDs etc.) but impose a speed limit of (i.e. 20‐25kmh) to prioritize non‐car modes • Bring Car‐free Sundays to JLD

Bus People and space Slow taxis Thought Experiment: Orchard Road

Building Extensions

Urban Verandahs

Cafes Thought Experiment: Orchard Road Collaboration between CLC/WOHA/NUS Studio Thought leaders: Oxford Street, London

Before After Thought leaders: George Street, Sydney

Before After Copenhagen Bicycle bridge Copenhagen Super Kilen Park 10 ideas for car‐lite Green Mark Scheme

• There are 1500 Green Mark Building projects in Singapore today. • 80% of all buildings in Singapore will be ‘green’ by 2030. • There are 4 key assessment criteria: Energy efficiency, water efficiency, environmental protection, indoor environment quality and other green features. Building Resilience Competitive Economy

1. Resilient Economy High Quality of Life

Competitive Sustainable Economy Environment 2. Competitive Workforce Outcomes (What’s)

Systems (How’s) Integrated Master Planning & Development

Dynamic Urban Governance 3. Inclusive Growth

• The Paris Agreement at COP 21 is the first international climate agreement (195 countries and applicable to all) • Aims to limit temperature rise to 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius • Flexible plan that takes into account the needs and capacities of each country • Balanced adaptation and mitigation Carbon Footprint Singapore

• Singapore contributes around 0.11% of global emissions, or approximately 8.8 tonnes per capita, while Hong Kong has a carbon footprint of about 6.3 tonnes per capita. • Singapore’s strategic roll as a oil storage and refining facilities location is a large source of our carbon emissions. • Singapore has pledged in 2010 to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 16% below Business‐as‐usual levels in 2020. We have also ratified the UN Framework Convention on climate change in 1997 and acceded to the Kyoto Protocol in 2006. • Singapore has switched from fuel oil to more natural gas. • Established the Efficiency Programme Office to drive energy efficiency across many different activities. Sustainable Singapore Blueprint Targets for 2030

200ha of skyrise greenery 700km of cycling paths 80% Green Buildings

5000 green volunteers Resilience

• Survive –We needed to build resilience right from Safe ‐ The importance of safety in our small island –from safe the beginning as we are an island with no streets to food safety resources, with land constraints and the only Space ‐ As a highly dense city, how do we plan for sustainable resource we have is our people. physical and social spaces that would weather crises? • Secure ‐ Again, given our limited resources, we have to keep our country and economy open but in turn we are susceptible global economic uncertainties and terrorism Survive ‐ Creating Jobs for Everyone Survive: Building a Nation Survive: Ensuring A Competitive Economy – Survive:Creating Ensuring Jobs A Competitive for Everyone Economy 2000s: Knowledge Intensive 1990s: 60,000 Technology Intensive 50,000 1970‐80s: Capital intensive 40,000 1960s: Labour Clean Tech Park intensive 30,000

20,000 Jurong Island

Singapore River 10,000

CONCEPT PLAN Maps out strategic vision over the next 40-50 years Reviewed every 10 years

MASTER PLAN Guides development over the next 10-15 years Reviewed every 5 years

URBAN DESIGN GUIDE PLANS

LAND SALES & DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT COORDINATION CONTROL Secure: Fostering Cohesion

• Home Ownership – 82% of our resident population lives in public housing

• Integrated towns, Shared Spaces – Mixture of housing types in a neighbourhood – Shared spaces e.g. Void Decks – Ethnic Integration Policy Secure: Building Communities

• Community Spaces – Upcoming first‐ever integrated community and lifestyle hub – Offers a range of services and facilities e.g. Medical Clinic, Community Library

• Community building programmes – Community in Bloom Programme Secure: Engaging Community

Nation‐wide programme A national programme to sensitise, train and mobilise our citizens in the event of a crisis

Community Engagment Efforts Engaging citizens through dialogue and discussion sessions

Grassroots Organisations Foster community cohesion and build networks of trust across different racial and religious groups

• The Singapore HeritageFest is an annual event aiming to raise awareness and appreciation of Singapore’s rich heritage through specially‐curated exhibitions, heritage trails, competitions, cultural performances, community activities and more. • One key drive is to nurture a generation of heritage champions to play active roles in promoting Singapore’s heritage. Secure: Singapore Heritage Festival

• Heritage trails enable participants to deep dive into Singapore’s rich historical and social memory. • Schools, in particular are roped into document their community’s heritage for posterity, allowing students to participate in the recording of their stories within the Singapore story. Secure: Singapore Heritage Festival

• Actors roam the Singapore river and portray characters who once lived and worked along the river, such as tradesmen, coolies, samsui women, a snake charmer and a letter writer. • Actors also portray living culture such as weddings for an intercultural experience. Safe: Maintaining Self‐Sufficiency

Ensuring a resilient supply of safe food

Sky Greens

Future Goals

Apollo Aquarium

Minimum Platform Levels & Flood Barriers

• The minimum platform level for important underground facilities e.g. Transit stations cannot be lower than 1 metre above the adjacent road / ground level or 1 metre above the highest recorded flood level

• Watertight barriers to protect underground stations and tunnels Guidelines for Enhancing Building Security

• Structural measures designed to within pressure and redistribute loads and use of force‐resistant building materials

• Surveillance measures and natural artificial measures Space: Conserving Heritage

Singapore’s Historic Districts : Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Glam

Cultural and Civic District Plan, Museums and Heritage Centers Space: Qianhai Harbour, “Water City”, Shenzhen • Five coastal corridors are created, which lead from inland to the Qianhai Harbour. • These ‘water fingers’ also serve as storm water treatment infrastructure and create inter‐ connected waterfront neighbourhoods. Space: DakPark, Rotterdam • 1km long and 85m wide park on top of the roof of a shopping boulevard • Also a storm water defense structure • Co‐created with residents, who were concerned with usability, leading to an innovative use of ‘stacking’ different functions such as shopping, parking, a playground, a resident’s garden and a greenhouse. Space: Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle • The design of the Olympic Sculpture Park allows 3 separate sites to be connected through a ‘Z‐shaped’ green platform, making the waterfront accessible. • Landforms and plantings direct, collect, and cleanse storm water before it is discharged into Elliot bay. Space: The Big U, New York City • 10‐mile protective system that encircles Manhattan, protecting the city from floods and storm water, and to provide public realms for the city’s diver communities. • Three regions, termed compartments, are created as a separate flood‐protection zone, isolated from flooding in other zones. • The compartments are designed to reflect the diversity of the local community. Space: The Big U, New York City Reimagining Liveability

1.Singapore’s Liveability Framework

2.Go Car‐lite

3.City with Nature

4.Building in Resilience Our Shared Responsibility

• We inherited many of the problems of the 20th century, but we can and must do better for the 21st century. • We are all part of an ecosystem that is striving towards the vision of a sustainable and liveable world. • It is a realizable vision, if we continue to pursue passionately in our belief of a better future. Reimagining Liveability

• Can we build a neighbourhood within a school? • Can an incineration plant also serve as a ski slope? • Can rooftops become an open communal space? THANK YOU

Global challenges Changing Climate change, global Demographics economic uncertainties Ageing population & increasing diversity from immigration Secure: Night Festival Singapore

• Singapore night festival was part of the Renaissance City Plan III by the National Arts Council • It aims to re‐invent Singapore as a vibrant magnet for international talent and the best home to an inclusive and cohesive population. Space: The Offices with Terraces Project

• Combination of flexible working spaces with greenery suited for the project’s mediterranean climate. • Offices open onto outdoor terrace areas, allowing meetings to be held outside. • Includes a rainwater collection system that irrigates greenery. Survive: Vision Zero Singapore

“[W]e need to have Vision Zero embedded… as part of the DNA and the organization’s culture. We must believe that we should prevent all injuries and be healthy at work. Not just we should, but we can and I think we must.” – Minister of Manpower and Minister for Social and Family Development, Tan Chuan‐Jin Hudson Yards

• Hudson Yards is a large development spanning 14 buildings, across 28 acres covering 17 million square feet of residential and commercial space with a community of about 125,000 people under a single developer. • This gave it opportunity to unify the residential, commercial and retail structures and also link to the Hudson river waterfront, high line district and the future Hudson boulevard park. Bringing it together: Singapore’s Rail Corridor • Previously part of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu railway, the rail corridor became a site for development when the railway station was relocated to Woodlands in 2011. • Spanning 25.3km, and covering an area of 170 hectares, the area was co‐created with civil society and the general public. • Through various engagement exercises, URA identified 9 key points for the request for proposal exercise, such as: • The rail corridor should retain its identity as a green corridor • The seamless connectivity of the rail corridor should be reestablished for pedestrians and cyclists to use and enjoy • The corridor should maintain its biodiversity so that it remains as an ecological corridor • The rail corridor’s sense of place and memory should be captured in its development. Bringing it together: Singapore’s Rail Corridor Bringing it together: Singapore’s Rail Corridor Bringing it together: Reimagining Tampines Survive: Arab Street and Haji Lane, Singapore • Kampong Glam was gazetted as a conservation area by URA in 1989 and Arab Street was one of URA’s pilot conservation project. • Arab street houses Singapore’s first generation shophouses of squat two‐storey buidlings with one or two windows on the upper floor façade. • Haji lane, a conservation area, that re‐invented itself into Singapore’s little bohemia. Space: US Pavilion designs for Detroit at the Venice Biennale • Detroit was chosen as a site for ‘The Architectural Imagination’, where 12 architects present plans for 4 underutilized areas in Detroit. • One example is the former packard automobile plant, which was reimagined as a new‐age factory that manufactures robots and autonomous vehicle technology.